The slippers are packed and the computer is turned off. I’m currently either hiking on a mountain or having a cocktail by the fire. If you don’t hear from me for a long time I have been eaten by a bear or I am thoroughly lost in the mountains. If the latter is the case, I’m living off the land and will soon be bringing a whole new blog about how to feed a family on twigs, berries, and wild game as soon as I get rescued. If I’ve been eaten by a bear… well it was nice knowing you and I leave my sock monkey slippers to my dog Jack.

Will be back soon… hopefully.

There are times when dinner needs to come together fast. Like when your dog is covered in glue and glitter because you were not watching and on the phone when your 3-year-old dumped a canister of glitter on him and he’s eating it, she’s laughing, and the old senile cat who hates you is peeing on everyone’s beds. That kind of fast. What this doesn’t happen to you? Is it wrong to say there is a wine IV connected to me right now as I’m writing this post? We’re going to keep it short tonight and hope I can write in coherent sentences.

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Pasta with Chicken is a simple fast dinner that satisfies everyone’s hunger including the grounded for life toddler who is going through an anti-spinach and tomato phase yet still scarfed down an entire bowl.

Creamy Tomato Parmesan Pasta with Chicken serves 6 

• 1 box (1 pound) Farfalle pasta
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 dried oregano leaves
• 1/4 ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cup half and half (3/4 cup milk + 3/4 cup cream)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups packed baby spinach
• 1 cup fresh or 1 can (rinsed and drained) diced tomatoes

Start to boil the water needed to cook the pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. And yes I said box. I know I preach about whole and fresh but tonight I am not making my own pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken, salt, oregano, and pepper. Cook until chicken is browned and fully cooked about 5 to 8 minutes. Move to a plate and cover with foil until ready to use. I use ground meat from the farmers market. The taste and texture is incomparable to what you find in the store.

Peel and finely chop garlic cloves.

In the same pan as the chicken was cooked in, heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garilc and a pinch of salt. Saute the garlic for 2 minutes.

To the garlic, add tomato paste and half and half (cream and milk) and stir to incorporate. Turn heat to low. I use half and half (half cream/half milk) because I find it works just as well as using whole cream but with half the fat and calories.

Add parmesan to the tomato cream sauce and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Finely chop spinach. If you are using fresh tomatoes dice them as well.

In a large bowl, add pasta, chicken, spinach and tomatoes.

Pour the tomato cream sauce over. Stir to combine. The heat of the pasta and the sauce will cook the spinach.

Plate, add extra Parmesan (shaved or grated), and serve.

Creamy, delicately cheesy, full of vegetables, and super fast — if it’s not your kids favorite it will be yours. Enjoy.

A story as old as time, when you have over ripened bananas that are starting to draw fruit flies and you are about to show your house to a potential buyer you make banana muffins or in our case banana nut muffins with Greek yogurt that are sinfully moist. I make this muffin recipe with practically any fresh fruit. It is also perfect to make ahead and use the batter as needed (batter will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator) for fresh delicious muffins every morning.

Another story that is as old as time is Murphy’s Law. When you are supposed to be doing something very important it is almost certain that inconceivable things will happen to slow you down. Case in point, the day I made these muffins I woke up to a house full of fruit flies gunning for my bananas. Something that you do not want in your house when you are trying to sell it. As I’m making these banana nut muffins with Mia to get rid of the fruit flies a half an hour before the house is to be shown, the door bell rings. It’s an energy salesman trying to sell me an energy plan while there is an obvious for sale sign in front of my house.

Just as I was about to slam the door in his face after he would not take “no” for an answer, all hell breaks loose and the smoke detector goes off. This scares the cats, sends them 10 feet into the air and causes them to run for their lives. All this commotion gets the attention of Jack the 70 pound lab who I thought was quietly sleeping. He starts to chase the cats around the house and runs past me and Eduardo the electric salesman while wearing a diaper on his face. Why does he have a diaper on his face? Because for some reason unbeknownst to me the dog has decided to empty Mia’s diaper trash in search of poo filled diapers. Yes, I said that right. Now, I still have Eduardo at the door, when Mia comes in from her room with one of the most terrifying thing in her hands… a permanent marker. This is when Eduardo says, “Is this a bad time?” To which I reply, “No, Eduardo, it’s perfect timing please come in for some tea and cookies.”

It’s now ten minutes before the realtor arrives and I’m stuck with a smoke detector that won’t turn off yet there’s no smoke, a chasing scene out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon, poop filled diapers flung about all over the house, and a once pink and cute vintage inspired child’s kitchen set that is now basically street taged with sharpie. Needless to say I did not hear back from the people that viewed the house that day nor did I buy an energy plan. At least the muffins were good.

Banana Nut Oatmeal Muffins makes 12

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup oatmeal, not instant
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• oatmeal for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups and lightly grease the paper cups with cooking spray. Greasing the paper muffin cups is not necessary but helps. In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Peel the bananas and place them in a large bowl. With a potato masher or fork, mash the bananas until creamy. This is Mia’s favorite part.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl to make sure everything gets blended. Beat on medium speed until butter, sugars, and eggs are combined.

Next, add vanilla and yogurt and blend until combined. With the blender on low, slowly add the flour mixture and blend until just incorperated. Sorry, this photo just escaped me. Must have been a moment when I was trying to keep Mia’s fingers out of the batter.

Next, fold in the mashed bananas, oatmeal and pecans.

Generously scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

Sprinkle the tops of the soon to be muffins with a pinch of oatmeal.

Place in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. All ovens are different. I find this recipe is done in 18 minutes but still lacks that golden crisp color. To achieve a golden color and crisp texture on top, place the muffins under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until golden.

Immediately remove the muffins from the muffin tin. Be careful not to burn your hands, they will be hot. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.

Serve and enjoy!

I love random food holidays. I especially love that the month of April is Grilled Cheese Month. Like I need an excuse to celebrate the awesomeness of grilled cheese. Grilled cheese sandwiches are a great “go to” meal when cooking for my family because they are incredibly simple to make and you can add practically anything to it to create a simple yet amazing meal. So, when I was asked to create a grilled cheese sandwich for Udi’s Gluten Free Foods and Horizon Organic for their Grilled Cheese Recipe Challenge I quickly agreed.

With this Bacon and Egg Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Apples, I might have gone a little overboard but believe me when I tell you this is the most fantastic, indulgent, and amazing combination to ever come across a grilled cheese sandwich. When used with Udi’s Gluten Free White Sandwich Bread, that I was quite honestly shocked that it was gluten free it’s so good, and Horizon Organic Cheddar slices that were fresh, creamy, and tasted like it was from the farmers market, you have a sandwich that will leave people talking and wanting more.

If I ever had a food truck or restaurant this would certainly be on the menu. Savory, salty, and just a little hint of sweetness makes this Bacon and Egg Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Apples the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich.

Bacon and Egg Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Apples
makes 2 

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 onion
• 1 apple, a tart red (Fuji apple) or a tart green (Granny Smith)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 4 slices white sandwich bread (Udi’s Gluten Free White Bread)
• 4 slices cheddar cheese (Horizon Organic White Cheddar Cheese)
• butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Lay bacon flat on the cooling rack and place the baking sheet in the oven. Cook for 20 minutes until the bacon is crisps and cooked through. This is my favorite way to cook bacon if I am cooking a lot.

or

Another and faster way to cook bacon is to place the 4 bacon slices on a microwaveable plate, cover with a paper towel, and place in the microwave. Cooked on high for 4 minutes or until crisp and cook through.

With a sharp knife, peel and thinly slice the onion.

Slice the apple in half, remove the core, and slice into thin slices.

In a saute pan, melt a 1/2 teaspoon butter over medium heat and add sliced onions, apples, and brown sugar. Saute for 10 minutes until browned and caramelized.

Next, prepare the bread by lightly spreading softened butter on one side of each slice.

Now for the eggs! Are you ready for the easiest full proof way to fry an egg with runny yolk? It’s simple: Melt a teaspoon of butter (or use cooking spray) in a non-stick skillet over medium heat (you can use the same skillet that the onions and apples were cooked in as long as it is non-stick). Crack the eggs gently into the pan and sprinkle each egg with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute the eggs until the whites are almost cooked through and no longer transparent, about 3 minutes. With a spatula, carefully flip the eggs, turn off heat, and remove the pan from the burner. Allow the eggs to sit for 30 seconds and then remove. This recipe is meant to have a golden runny yolk but if you are not a fan of runny yolks just cook the eggs a minute longer.

Heat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Build the sandwiches by placing a slice of cheese on a non-buttered side of bread.

Next, lay the egg on top of the cheese followed by 2 strips of bacon, a spoonful of caramelized onion and apples, and finish off with another slice of cheese. Top with a slice of bread with the buttered side facing up. Place the sandwiches on the griddle for 2 minutes until the bread is golden brown and then carefully flip and cook for another minute or two until the cheese is melted and the bread is golden.

The most indulgent and over the top grilled cheese you have ever had. I will be the first to admit this might not be the most calorie conscious meal but it is certainly one to celebrate Grilled Cheese Month! I would highly recommend Udi’s Gluten Free Breads. I was surprised at the quality and taste and their white sandwich bread held up nicely in the grilled cheese. I also recommend Horizon Organic Cheese for this recipe. The flavor and texture was outstanding.

Enjoy!

As a mom I sometimes find that snack time is more difficult than a meal time. When I could easily just say, “For the love of everything holy, If you’re hungry just grab a snack bar from the pantry!” — in the back of my  mind I still know that even snacks should resemble some nutritional value. Not to say I never grab a bag of Cheddar Goldfish in a hurry because it happens but a fruit and cheese plate on a daily basis can get boring fast. And we all know boring food to a toddler is going to end in a meltdown.

In our house creative toddler food is the answer to a healthy meal and what’s more fun than food on a stick? Seriosly, my child will eat anything on a stick.  I do love a state fair corndog once a year and that’s on a stick so I’m not going to argue. So when we started putting fruit on a stick I knew we had something.

These simple frozen yogurt fruit pops are one of Mia’s favorites and allows her to create her own healthy snack with Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts, and of course you have to have sprinkles.

Frozen Yogurt Covered Fruit Pops makes 12 pops

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt*
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• large freezable fruit such as: bananas, kiwi, strawberries, mango
• 12 cake-pop or thick lollipop sticks, 6″ long
• toppings such as: chopped pecans, cashews, pistachios, mini chocolate chips, sprinkles

In a bowl, combine yogurt and honey. If you feel like you need to add a little more honey than suggested go right ahead. Mia likes hers tart. Place the bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes to thicken back up.

Slice fruit into large slices that will fit on a stick. Keep strawberries whole.

Prep the desired toppings. Chop nuts and chocolate, toast coconut, pour sprinkles…and place on a plate or in separate bowls.

Insert sticks into fruit.

Dip fruit into yogurt using a spoon to help spread the yogurt over the fruit.

Sprinkle desired topping over the yogurt covered fruit.

Besides eating, this is Mia’s favorite part.

Place the dipped fruit pops on a baking sheet covered with wax paper or parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 2 hours or until the yogurt is frozen.

Remove from the freezer and serve. Store in freezer bags in the freezer. If stored for a day or more they are best served when defrosted for at room temperature for a minute or two.

“yum. yum. yummy. yum.” – Mia

A great healthy snack for kids to make by themselves and perfect for the up and coming hot summer days.

When my daughter Mia was born, I instantly knew I wanted to give her the best that I possibly could. And for being the whole food snob that I am, there was no other thought but to make my own fresh never jarred baby food for her. I researched and spoke with her doctors on a regular basis and came up with some pretty tasty purees that she loved. Not only did she have the basics but a wide arrange of flavors that I believe helped her transition smoothly into finger and toddler foods. Even though she is going on 4 years of age I still use the recipes and knowledge I learned then about fresh cooking to feed her today. That is why I was more than happy to contribute to the new Baby Brezza Cookbook.

The Baby Brezza Cookbook 47 Mom-Tested Recipes and Tips, is an informative and easy to follow cookbook full of fresh baby food recipes. It contains 47 recipes written by experienced moms for babies ages 6 months all the way through the toddler years. This is a great book to have if, like me, you enjoy making purees and finger foods for your children at home.

You can grab one today from BabyBrezza.com with the InSockMonkeySlippers discount code: AUTHOR for 25% off the purchase of the book!

Thanks to Baby Brezza I have two copies to giveaway this week! The giveaway is now over and the winners are Gail and Adrian! 

To enter: Leave a comment below telling us what your favorite memory of your baby’s first experience with food is. If you don’t have a baby or you were/are to sleep deprived to remember you can always just say that you would love a copy of this book.

Giveaway ends: Wednesday, April 4th, 2012, at noon central.

The two winners will be chosen by random.org and will be notified by e-mail. Good Luck!

With the end of winter and the beginning of spring brings my favorite time of citrus season. Especially because the meyer lemons are at their best and I’m a huge meyer lemon fan. Being a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, these lemons are tart but not as bitter as a regular lemon. So, when season hits I buy as many as I can, squeeze the juice and freeze it for use through out the year.

The perfect pairing of the floral lavender with the smooth citrus of the meyer lemon makes these lemon bars far from ordinary and certainly one that will not be forgotten. These aren’t your grandma’s lemon bars, or at least not mine. Their sweet bold flavor will have will have you craving more after every bite. Warning they’re seriously addictive. Shut and lock the front door because these are irresistible.

Meyer Lemon Bars with Lavender Shortbread Crust

Lavender Short Bread Crust

• 3/4 cup un-salted butter, cold
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon dried lavender blossoms
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3 Tablespoons water, cold

Meyer Lemon Filling

• 4 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup meyer lemon juice, from about 6 lemons
• 2 Tablespoons meyer lemon zest
• powdered sugar (confectioners sugar) for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9″ x 13″ x 2″ baking pan (metal preferably) with parchment paper with the paper slightly folding over the sides. If you do not have parchment paper heavily grease the pan.

In a food processor or a stand mixer, add butter, flour, sugar, lavender, and salt. Pulse or mix until the dough starts to come together. Slowly add the water one tablespoon at a time. Mix until the dough is moist and crumbly.

Pour the dough into the prepared pan and with your fingers press the dough into the pan forming a crust. Place it in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until slightly golden.

While the crust is baking start on the filling. Zest and juice the meyer lemons.

With a mixer or simply by hand in a large bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks.

To the eggs, add sugar and flour and mix until smooth.

Next, add lemon juice and zest and gently stir until combined.

Pour the filling onto the crust and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before cutting.

Use the parchment paper to gently lift the soon to be bars out of the pan and place on a flat surface. With a sifter, dust with powdered sugar. Cut into 12 large squares or 24 small squares. Can be made in advance. Store in the refrigerator.

Shut. The. Front. Door.

Seriously good and totally just made my afternoon.

The brussels sprout. The most feared of the vegetable family. As a kid I steered clear of the mushy smelly veggie and usually tried to throw them under the table or slip them onto my brother’s plate when no one was looking. This probably had to do with the way my parents steamed them for hours then sprinkled garlic salt over them.  –ahh, I’m having flashbacks– I could not stand them!

Odd how time can change one’s taste buds because now I love them. Can’t get enough especially when they’re in season from late fall to early spring in most parts of the country. One of the best ways to eat brussels sprouts is to simply through them in a roasting pan. Even better is to roast them in the same pan with a whole chicken. {Follow this recipe for roasted chicken placing the brussels sprouts in the bottom of the pan surrounding the chicken 40 minutes before the chicken is done.} Holy Moly!

When I’m not throwing them in the oven with a chicken, this is our next best recipe for brussels sprouts. Slightly sweet and salty these maple roasted brussels sprouts and carrots with cherries and walnuts is so delicious that there are never any leftovers. The best part is that Mia, the resident 3-year-old loves them.

maple roasted brussels sprouts & carrots with cherries & walnuts
serves 4 to 6 

• 1 pound brussels sprouts
• 1 pound carrots
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/3 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice brussels sprouts in half.

Peel and slice carrots into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place the brussels sprouts and carrots into a large bowl.

Add the maple syrup to the melted butter and stir to combine.

Pour the butter/syrup mixture over the brussels sprouts and carrots. Add salt and pepper. With a spoon, stir to evenly coat the vegetables with the butter. Ignore the fact that the cherries and walnuts are in this picture! It was one of those “whoops” moments and I wasn’t about to pick each one out of the bowl after I had covered them with butter. Blame it on a lack of coffee that day. Their time will come soon.

Pour evenly onto a large baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven stir and add the walnuts and cherries evenly over the sprouts and carrots. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Try these out with Baked Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Dipping Sauce. To die for, I tell you! No more sneaking your sprouts to the dog under the table.

Chicken fingers, a kid’s best friend. Ever since I realized what exactly goes into a fast food chicken nugget I have steered clear of the mystery meat and dabbled with my own recipes at home. For years upon years now this has been one of the husband’s and I’s favorite meals because I don’t care how old you are, the kid in us all craves chicken fingers. Thankfully, we had a child and now have a legitimate excuse to make them.

I’ve made them every which way: breaded with breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and panko and above all panko is my favorite breading of choice. Panko is a Japanese bread crumb available at most grocery stores in the international food aisle. It’s traditionally used for making tempura batter but is a great tool to bread and bake practically anything giving the coated food a crunchy almost fried texture.

Crisp, crunchy, and incredibly moist, Baked Panko Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip is a delicious healthy meal for all ages.

Baked Panko Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cups Panko Japanese Bread Crumbs
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup low-fat buttermilk*
• cooking oil spray

Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip

• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• pinch salt

* You can substitute an egg wash for buttermilk by whisking 1 egg + 2 tablespoons of water together.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim off any excess fat and slice each chicken breast into 1 inch thick strips.

On a plate or a wide bowl, combine panko, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Pour buttermilk onto a large plate or bowl. Create a breading station with chicken strips, buttermilk, and panko. Prep a large baking sheet by covering it with foil. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and lightly spray the rack with cooking spray. If you don’t have a cooling rack lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. This is one of my favorite kitchen tricks. By placing a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet the heat is able to reach all sides of the elevated chicken strips making crisp never soggy chicken fingers.

Using one piece of chicken at a time, start breading by dipping and coating a chicken strip into the buttermilk.

Next, roll the chicken strip into the panko, making sure it is evenly coated on all sides.

Then place the strip onto the prepped baking sheet. Repeat with remaining strips. Lightly spray the chicken strips with cooking oil spray. Place chicken strips in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the strips from the oven and flip each strip over. Once again, lightly spray the strips with cooking spray and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until cooked through.

While the chicken is in the oven, combine all of the ingredients for the apricot mustard dip in a bowl and whisk until incorporated.

Once the chicken is baked, plate and serve. It’s the end of winter/beginning of spring here in Texas, so tonight we’re using up the last of this seasons brussels sprouts and carrots in this roasted brussels sprouts and carrots with maple glaze side dish. It’s wicked good.

Intensely flavorful and crunchy, these Baked Panko Chicken Strips with Apricot Dijon Mustard Dip are simply delicious.

Just keeping it real. Mia, the resident 3-year-old prefers ketchup with her chicken fingers.

In our family pizza night is one of the meals that brings us all together in the kitchen. We turn the music up, put on our aprons and get to work. Everyone creates their own pizzas and we all share slices making it a great and memorable night. To us there is no need to order pizza, unless it has just been one of those days, but even then a boxed pizza can never come close to what you can make at home.

If you are reading this thinking, “Lady there is absolutely noway that I could ever create an artisan pizza crust in my kitchen” or “I’ve tried it and didn’t like the tough, thick, and doughy crust” now with this recipe you can and it is as easy as throwing a few ingredients in a bowl and letting it sit overnight.

I’ve been making my own pizza dough for three years now. I’m no expert but I know a good recipe when I see one. Although I enjoy a kneaded crust (the Tartine meathod is my favorite) there is practice and a knowledge of dough to achieve that perfect bubbly chewy texture. But of course, there are some days when I just don’t have the time, patience, and there’s a 70 pound dog at my feet, a child tugging on my apron, and a husband who’s nose is always in the pantry. That’s when this fantastic recipe comes in hand.

Brilliantly created by Jim Lahey—owner of New York’s Sullivan Street Bakery and Pizza Spot Co., this recipe for a no-knead pizza crust has been around for a few years. But it wasn’t until I saw it in a recent issue of Bon Appétit that I immediately gave it a test. Like I threw down the magazine, pushed the dog out of the way, and ran to the kitchen.

The results: The most simple but chewy, bubbly, and crisp crust that I have ever made without time consuming kneading and a seven day starter. The ingredients and technique are surprisingly simple but it is the overnight fermentation that give this dough it’s character. The only problem I had was creating a thin crust, I don’t believe the gluten really gets enough work to get that super thin bite but I’ve found if you keep it in between a medium to thin you will get the best result. I highly recommend trying this out tonight and have pizza night tomorrow.

No-Knead Pizza Dough makes 6 – 8″ pizzas
recipe form Jim Lahey published in Bon Appétit

• 7 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (1000 grams) plus more for shaping dough
• 4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and yeast.

While stirring with a wooden spoon, slowly add 3 cups of room temp water. Stir until well incorporated.

Mix dough gently with your hands and form it in a rough ball. Transfer to a large clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a draft free area. Let it rise at room temperature (about 72°F) for 18 hours until the surface is covered with tiny bubbles and the dough has more than doubled in size.

Transfer dough to a floured work surface and gently shape into a rectangle.

With a knife, cut the dough into 6 equal portions.

Working with 1 portion at a time, gather 4 corners to the center to create 4 folds.

Flip it over seam side down and gently mold it into a ball. Dust dough with flour and set on a floured work surface or baking sheet. Repeat with all portions. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 1 hour.

Make ahead: Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Wrap each dough ball separately in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use, unwrap and let it rest at room temperature, covered with a towel or plastic wrap for 2 to 3 hours.

To make a pizza:

During the last hour of dough’s resting, prepare oven: If using a pizza stone, arrange a rack in upper third of oven and place stone on rack; preheat oven to its hottest setting, 500°–550°, for 1 hour. If using a baking sheet, arrange a rack in middle of oven and preheat to its hottest setting, 500°–550°. (You do not need to preheat the baking sheet.)

**note: I have used both a pizza stone and a baking sheet. The results were almost identical. Usually I would say always use a pizza stone but in this case it did not make a difference. I recommend using a baking sheet especially if you are working with children in the kitchen.

Working with 1 dough ball at a time, dust dough generously with flour and place on a floured work surface. Gently shape dough into a 10″–12″ disk.

Mia and Tim’s favorite pizza: tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, olives, mushrooms, and bell peppers.

My favorite pizza: garlic infused olive oil, fresh mozzarella, topped with prosciutto, arugula and shaved Parmesan.

Simple, easy, and perfectly dinner.

I have also formed the remaining dough into baguettes. Not perfect as a bread but still pretty awesome when you need a baguette in a pinch.